Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid is a penicillin-type antibiotic used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria.

This antibiotic only treats bacterial infections. It will not work for viral infections (e.g., common cold, flu). Unnecessary use or overuse of any antibiotic can lead to its decreased effectiveness.

Take this medication by mouth usually every 12 hours at the start of a meal or with a snack, or as directed by your doctor. Do not take with a high-fat meal because it can decrease the absorption of the drug. Swallow the tablets whole. Do not chew or crush the tablets; this can destroy the long action of the drug and may increase side effects.

Antibiotics work best when the amount of medicine in your body is kept at a constant level. Therefore, take this drug at evenly spaced intervals.

Continue to take this medication until the full prescribed amount is finished even if symptoms disappear after a few days. Stopping the medication too early may allow bacteria to continue to grow, which may result in a relapse of the infection.

Inform your doctor if your condition persists or worsens.

Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or stomach/abdominal pain may occur during the first few days as your body adjusts to the medication. Take with food to minimize stomach upset. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.

Tell your doctor immediately if any of these highly unlikely but very serious side effects occur: easy bruising or bleeding, persistent sore throat or fever, dark urine, persistent nausea or vomiting, severe stomach/abdominal pain, yellowing eyes or skin.

This medication may rarely cause a severe intestinal condition (Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea) due to a type of resistant bacteria. This condition may occur during treatment or weeks to months after treatment has stopped. Do not use anti-diarrhea products or narcotic pain medications if you have any of the following symptoms because these products may make them worse. Tell your doctor immediately if you develop: persistent diarrhea, abdominal or stomach pain/cramping, or blood/mucus in your stool.

Use of this medication for prolonged or repeated periods may result in oral thrush or a new vaginal yeast infection (oral or vaginal fungal infection). Contact your doctor if you notice white patches in your mouth, a change in vaginal discharge or other new symptoms.

A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.

The amoxicillin in this combination medication can commonly cause a mild rash that is usually not serious. However, you may not be able to tell it apart from a rare rash that could be a sign of a severe allergic reaction. Therefore, seek immediate medical attention if you develop any rash.

This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

In the US -

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.

Before taking amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to penicillin or cephalosporin antibiotics; or if you have any other allergies.

This medication should not be used if you have certain medical conditions. Before using this medicine, consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have: severe kidney disease that requires dialysis, history of liver problems (such as cholestatic jaundice) that occurred with previous use of amoxicillin/clavulanic acid.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: liver disease, kidney disease, a certain type of viral infection (infectious mononucleosis).

Kidney function declines as you grow older. This medication is removed by the kidneys. Therefore, elderly people may be more sensitive to this drug.

This medication should be used only when clearly needed during pregnancy. Caution is advised if this medication is given before delivery for a certain condition (premature rupture of fetal membranes) due to a possible increased risk of harm to the newborn. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.

This medication passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.

This drug should not be used with the following medication because a very serious interaction may occur: probenecid.

If you are currently using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting amoxicillin/clavulanic acid.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially of: allopurinol, live bacterial vaccines, methotrexate, tetracyclines.

This medication may decrease the effectiveness of combination-type birth control pills. This can result in pregnancy. You may need to use an additional form of reliable birth control while using this medication. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for details.

This antibiotic may cause false positive results with certain diabetic urine testing products (cupric sulfate-type). This drug may also affect the results of certain lab tests. Make sure laboratory personnel and your doctors know you use this drug.

This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.

If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US national poison hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly. Symptoms of overdose may include: severe stomach/abdominal pain, severe vomiting, persistent diarrhea, a severe decrease in the amount of urine, or seizures.

Do not share this medication with others.

This medication has been prescribed for your current condition only. Do not use it later for another infection. A different medication may be necessary in those cases.

With prolonged treatment, laboratory and/or medical tests (e.g., kidney and liver function, complete blood counts) should be performed periodically to monitor your progress or check for side effects. Consult your doctor for more details.

If you miss a dose, use it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

Store at or below room temperature (77 degrees F or 25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.

Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

Information last revised October 2008 Copyright(c) 2008 First DataBank, Inc.